<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Drabbles From The Dark Mark by Trawler</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28047225">Drabbles From The Dark Mark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trawler/pseuds/Trawler'>Trawler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, F/M, One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:27:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28047225</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trawler/pseuds/Trawler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A short series of 100-ish word drabbles. Severus Snape reflects on what is and what could be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Drabbles From The Dark Mark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The titles of - and inspiration for - these drabbles was taken from a series of songs by a folk-rock group called the Oysterband.</p>
<p>This is part of a mostly unconnected series of short and long Snape/Hermione fics. They were written about fifteen years ago and posted elsewhere, but I've decided I want to keep all my fanfics together.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A Time Of Her Own</em>
</p>
<p>Severus watched Hermione as she moved. </p>
<p>Buck teeth biting her lip. Hair framing her face like a nimbus. Eyes alight with warmth and curiosity. Looks meant little to him, yet somehow she had become the only sight worth seeing in his classes. He was astounded that no-one else saw her as he did. </p>
<p>He kept that notion to himself.</p>
<p>She moved without fear. Every motion was precise, honed, and deliberate. Sometimes she would smile, perhaps laugh – if she thought he wasn’t paying attention – and each gesture filled him with light. She was summer to his winter, day to his night, and moving in a time of her own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Someone You Might Have Been</em>
</p>
<p>The narrow path led Severus through the overgrown forest of bramble and sycamore, straight to the hidden spring. Sunlight dappled the canopy with splashes of green and gold.</p>
<p>He reached the spring. Kneeling by the pool, he filled one cupped hand and drank. The water had the power of oracle.</p>
<p>The vision that formed behind his eyes showed another Severus, possessively holding his smiling Hermione. A Severus devoid of the Dark Mark.</p>
<p>The reality was so different that he choked. Everything he’d laboured to save was gone. Severus wanted to sink beneath the water and weep for someone he might have been. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Funny Time of Life</em>
</p>
<p>Severus slumped deeper into his chair, perusing the glass of amber liquid in his hand. His thoughts turned inexorably to Hermione, his research partner of several years. The ugly duckling had matured into a graceful swan. Long; lean; a pure delight to work alongside. </p>
<p>He liked to imagine he saw a flash of more than just scholarly interest in her eyes. A glimpse of a wilder shore, perhaps, when she looked at him.</p>
<p>Probably just the foolish fancy of a lonely, middle-aged man.</p>
<p>Maybe he’d just reached that funny time of life.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>